The Wendy Fairy
by sultal
Summary: Fairies are so small, they can only have one feeling at a time. What happens when Tinkerbell has only malice for Wendy Darling, and tricks Zarina (the pixie dust alchemist) into making a pixie dust recipe that can turn the girl Peter Pan found behind the second star...into a fairy? Forever. Inspired by the art of Rapunzel-Magic-Frost.
1. Ch1: Faith Trust And Human Pixie Dust?

**sultal's note: This story was inspired by the art of a DeviantArt artist Rapunzel-Magic-Frost. I noticed her page on DA bc haters were giving her grief, stating that her photoshopping images were "not art." But, guys her photoshopping skills are killer. Stunning. Flawless. I mean look at the image for this story. SHE MADE THAT. Like seriously! It's gorgeous.**

 **She made a series of photoshopped images of Wendy as a fairy. Obviously I got excited, starting thinking, and asked if I could make a story based on her images. Thank the gods she said yes!**

 **So, this story is inspired by the photoshop creations of Rapunzel-Magic-Frost. So pumped to be collaborating to make a story. Dudes- check out her work. Moral imperative.**

 **keep writing.**

 **p.s. : I had to watch the "Pirate Fairy" to research this story. Zarina is in it, along with blue pixie dust. I try to give a synopsis for those that havn't watched it, or don't care to. But long story short, I tried to put science behind the magic that I saw in the movie.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Faith. Trust. And** ** _Human_** **Pixie Dust?**

No one knows exactly how Wendy turned into a fairy. But Zarina had her suspicions.

It all started when Tinkerbell exploded into her pixie dust alchemy workshop. It was a beautiful day and Tinkerbell was wearing her ugliest expression…

"I can't TAKE HER ANYMORE!"

Zarina jumped.

"No!" she gasped as Tinkerbell stormed by. A vial of pixie dust wobbled off the workbench. She dove, but the vial shattered.

"Tink!" Frantically, Zarina swept pixie dust into her smock. The dust diffused across the room, making her workshop levitate. "Tink! This took me forever to purify! Each grain was crushed with a robin's egg and bleached with starlight! Arrrgh! Tink! I put up a sign! Did you miss the whole _Trespassers Will be Beheaded_ thing?"

Cupping pixie dust in both palms, Zarina rose. Positioning her hands, she hunched over a beaker and carefully sifted the sparkling dust between her fingers. She squinted. Dirt contaminated the magical dust. The pixie dust was ruined! Totally ruined!

Zarina felt little cannons banging her ribcage. She scowled. Sometimes Zarina _wished_ she could go back to being a pirate fairy aboard the Jolly Roger.

Like all fairies, Zarina lived in Pixie Hollow – the heart of Neverland. It was a magical metropolis inhabited by fairies of every talent. Tinkerbell was a tinker talent – a fixer, a crafter, an inventor, an odds-and-ends-er. There were also the obvious fairy talents – Rosetta was a garden talent, Fawn was an animal talent, Iridessa was a light talent, Silvermist was a water talent, Vidia was a fast-flying talent, and Terence was a dust talent. Zarina, like Terence, had been a dust-talent fairy, responsible for nurturing, processing, and distributing pixie dust.

Pixie dust _fascinated_ Zarina. Now, most fairies _are_ fascinated with pixie dust, but only because they enjoy the sparkle. As a dust talent, Zarina wanted to _understand_ pixie dust. She wanted to dissect the elemental properties, explore its potential, and unleash its power!

But according to Fairy Gary – the patriarch dust talent – that was asking too much. Unsurprisingly, when Zarina… "accidentally" stole blue pixie dust (the most potent of all dust) and created a minor disaster following a failed experiment, Fairy Gary banned her from dust keeping.

So Zarina left. She left Pixie Hollow and jumpshipped to the Jolly Roger!

Zarina smiled grimly to herself. It had been a flitterific adventure. True, she'd been ticked by Captain Hook, but with the help of Tinkerbell and her fairy friends, Zarina saved the day and was welcomed back to Pixie Hollow…this time as a pixie-dust-alchemy talent. Within safe boundaries (safe boundaries including brushfires, earthquakes, and the sky falling) Zarina was responsible for discovering the elemental properties and possibilities of pixie dust.

And although she was not allowed to manipulate with fairy talents – as she had on her pirate adventure – Zarina had to admit she was living the good life. _Way_ better than being a pirate.

Still…

Zarina glared at the contaminated pixie dust. Swashbuckling and gizzard ripping were very attractive alternatives to reasoning with Tinkerbell right now…

"Tink look what you did to my dust!" Zarina pointed to make sure Tinkerbell saw. "You got dirt in it! The chemistry is off, the experiment is ruined! I'll have to start over from scratch! Scratch!"

Angrily, Zarina shoved the beaker. "Tink what is _wrong_ with you?"

Tinkerbell turned. Her face was bright red.

Zarina would have _loved_ an apology. However, apologies weren't Tinkerbell's forte. So, she reasonably hoped that Tinkerbell would just complain to herself, letting Zarina continue with her experiment.

That didn't happen.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT DIDN'T WORK!"

Zarina dipped tweezers into the pixie dust. Grinding her molars, she tried to concentrate on removing the dirt. "What didn't work?"

Tinkerbell threw up her hands. "I tried to kill her!"

Zarina stopped. "Kill? As in… _kill_? Kill who?"

"That…that…." Tinkerbell contorted, as if the word was too grotesque to say. "…that _girl_!" she finally snarled, cheeks hotter than flames. "That big, ugly girl Peter found behind the star!"

Zarina was still trying to process. "A girl? A human? A… _child_?"

"Yes!"

"And…you tried… to _kill_ her?"

"YES!"

"Um, okay, wow." Zarina set down her tweezers. She faced Tinkerbell. "Why?"

"Because!" Tinkerbell crossed her arms. "She doesn't belong in Neverland!"

"Why?"

"Because I don't want her here!"

"Why?"

"Because!" Tinkerbell raised her voice. "Because she's stealing my adventures with Peter!"

"Okay." Warily, Zarina stepped back. Making sure she wasn't surrounded by sharp, pointy objects, she watched Tinkerbell from a safe distance.

"Well…um… _Tink_. Normally I would applaud your determination...but don't you think that's a little harsh? Maybe even a little, oh, I don't know… _insane_?"

Tinkerbell popped out a hip. "Not harsh enough! The big, ugly girl is still in one piece!"

"Generally that's safe and happy." Zarina said.

"My plan was so perfect!" Tinkerbell moaned. Joining Zarina she flopped on the workbench. "So, so perfect! The Lost Boys thought the girl was a bird. The girl flew into firing range. The Lost Boys shot her right out of the sky. She fell to the rocks below – "

"What happened?" Zarina gasped, engrossed with the story.

Tinkerbell's head popped up. She hit the workbench, making Zarina's ingredients jump.

"That stupid Peter Pan saved her! Right before –" again Tinkerbell hit the bench. "— the SPLAT!"

Zarina's mouth dropped. "Splat?"

"Splat!" Tinkerbell nodded, furiously flapping her wings. "It would have been beautiful! No more girl! No more missed adventures! No more Wendy!"

Zarina started to speak, then paused as Tinkerbell said the girl's name. It was pretty, but odd. Zarina started to mouth the name, working the syllables over her tongue. But Tinkerbell started to gripe, and Zarina tucked the name into the back of her mind.

"Um…Tink?"

"What?"

Zarina thought analytically. She really didn't know Peter Pan, and tried to avoid humans since her encounter with Captain Hook. But Tinkerbell's account of the girl's survival made her curious.

"Tink? Do you think Peter Pan would have been upset if the girl…um…went _splat_?"

"What?" Tinkerbell whipped around. "What kind of question is that?"

"Well…" Zarina inched a needle out of Tinkerbell's reach. "Well I mean he saved her. Right? Don't you think Peter Pan would have been kinda… _mad_ if he found out you're the one that wanted to killed her?"

"Oh!" Tinkerbell laughed. "Oh he already knows! I told him!"

"You what?"

"Guilty as charged!" Proudly, Tinkerbell thumped her chest. "I don't like that girl and I want everyone to know! Especially Peter!"

Zarina gaped. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to be disgusted or impressed. "Tink! What did Peter Pan say? What did he do?"

"He banished me!"

"Banished? Oh Tink I'm sorry, but you _seriously_ shouldn't go around trying to kill – "

"I don't care!" Tinkerbell spat. "Bring on the banishment!"

"Tink!" Zarina said, still baffled. "Tink _you tried to kill a girl that Peter Pan saved_! Think about it! You could be banished for ages!"

"Oooo! That's the worst part!" Tinkerbell grumbled. "Peter tried to banish me forever. But that big, ugly girl asked him not to banish me at all!"

Dramatically Tinkerbell clasped her cheeks. Speaking in a falsetto, she mocked the girl. " _Please Petah! Not forevah_!"

"Awww." Zarina smiled. "That's cute she wanted you to stay – "

"IT'S NOT CUTE!" Tinkerbell hopped up. "Thanks to her pity, Peter only banished me for a week!"

"Oh, that's good."

"Zarina that's bad!"

"Why?!" Zarina asked, head spinning.

"Because!" Tinkerbell grabbed the beaker of pixie dust. "Because in one week I'll have to go back and see that…that…"

Zarina raised a timid finger. "…girl?"

"GIRL!" Tinkerbell shouted. "AND WATCH HER STEAL ALL MY ADVENTURES WITH PETER PAN!"

"Tink!" Zarina interrupted. "Tink! Why can't you be friends with the girl? I mean she didn't want you to be banished."

Tinkerbell scoffed. She gripped the beaker between her hands. "Fat chance of _that_ , Zee!"

"Then why can't you just tag along?" Zarina demanded. The sun was setting and she was running out of workshop time. " _Share_ the adventure? You know what Silvermist always says: _Sharing is caring, life can be fun_ – "

"— _Water talent poems are really dumb_!" Tinkerbell scoffed. "Yeah, no thanks! I'm not going to be a tag along!"

"Well, I didn't mean tag along." Zarina said, backtracking on her words. "I meant that you and Peter Pan have a weird friendship thing. I'm sure nothing would change."

"Puh. You didn't see Peter. The way he… _looks_ at her." Tinkerbell sat. She was suddenly quiet. Unable to stop her wings from drooping, she rolled the beaker between her palms. "It's a funny look. Like…I don't know. Like she's the only one there. No matter where he is, or who he's with. It's funny."

Tinkerbell stared into the contaminated pixie dust. Suddenly, she slammed the beaker onto the bench.

"And that's not good for Peter! Looking at that girl funny all of the time! He could hurt his eyes! Ohhhh!" Tinkerbell raised her fists. "I wish that girl was invisible! I wish she was only 5 inches tall!"

"Well that is small." Zarina said, slumping exasperatedly at her workbench. "Even for a fairy."

"Well she – " Tinkerbell stopped. She stared at Zarina. "That _is_ small. Isn't it?

Zarina rose. "Tink…" she said, watching lights popping behind Tinkerbell's eyes. "Tink, if you're thinking what I think you're thinking – "

"I think you thunk right!"

"What are you thinking?!"

"What do you think I'm thinking?"

"I think you better think your thoughts away!"

"We could turn Wendy – " Tinkerbell shouted. "—into a fairy!"

Zarina covered her mouth. "Oh no! That's what I thought you were thinking! Tink! Tink you can't –"

"We could change her into a fairy and she would be too small for Peter to see!" Tinkerbell squealed. "She'd be so small, and scared, and helpless and probably get eaten alive by a snake, or hawk, or snapping turtle or something! Oh Zee! It's brilliant! It's flitterific! YOU'RE brilliant and flitterific!"

" _Me_?" Zarina chased Tinkerbell. "This isn't my idea, it's yours! And Tink _it's impossible_! Humans can't be changed into fairies!"

"Sure they can!" Tinkerbell lifted the beaker. She shook the contaminated dust. "With pixie dust!"

"Pixie dust?! Tink that's – "

"You did it before!" Tinkerbell seized Zarina and flung her at the workbench. Excitedly, she shoved the beaker into Zarina's hands. "Remember? On the pirate adventure? You used the blue dust to make a different color pixie dust for each talent – pink for garden talent, orange for animal talent?"

"Well yes, but – "

"—and then you threw the multicolored dust at us and switched our talents? Remember? I was a water talent, Vidia was a tinker-talent, and Iridessa was a garden – "

"—Tinkerbell – "

"—why can't we do the same for a big, ugly human girl?"

"Because!" Zarina protested, "It's never been done before and I don't want my talent to hurt anyone again! When I stole the blue pixie dust to make Hook's ship fly, I endangered Pixie Hollow!"

"Are you saying?" Tinkerbell smirked, "You can't do it?"

That hurt Zarina's pride.

"Well of course I can do it!" Zarina retorted, scientific hubris overcoming her fear. "I discovered pixie dust alchemy, remember? And for your information, Tinkerbell, the pixie dust would have to enter the girl's blood. So she'd have to inhale it into her lungs!"

Tinkerbell scrunched her nose. "Huh?"

"Inhale the dust into her lungs!" Zarina said. "Blood flows by the lungs. Pixie dust grains are so small they just pass into the vessels! _Duh_!"

Zarina was on fire. Intelligence blossoming from her brain and to her mouth, she ranted to Tinkerbell's smug face.

"Once it gets into the blood, the pixie dust goes everywhere! It rewrites the body code – changes the life fingerprint. That is how I turned all of you into different talents! And that is how I turned you back! You just inhale a higher dose of _different_ pixie dust to change back into your normal self!"

"But!" Zarina continued, ideas popping like popcorn. "You could only change a human into a fairy! You couldn't reverse it! A human is a human – there wouldn't be a _human pixie dust_ to overpower the _fairy pixie dust_ that turned the human into a fairy in the first place."

Zarina glared. "Not that _you_ would know _anything_ about that – "

"What ingredients would you use?" Tinkerbell asked.

"Humans can't fly so all you would need is dirt." Zarina snapped impatiently. "Because they're stuck to the ground. You'd also add other stuff to symbolize the human's personalty – "

"Dirt?" Tinkerbell took the beaker. She held it to the light. "Just like this batch?"

"Sure!" Zarina kneaded her eyes. "Why not? _Why not_?! While we're at it, let's add some poison berry juice and rose thorns to the recep – Tink? Tink?"

Zarina sat up. She searched the room. It was dark. The sun had set.

Tinkerbell was gone.

And the beaker of contaminated pixie dust was missing.

Zarina's heart exploded.

"Tink!" she called, flying to the door. The sky was plum and the stars were poking through. But Tinkerbell was nowhere in sight. "Tink! Tink! Tinkerbell! Oh no!"

Zarina raced to her workbench. Furiously she grabbed a notebook and started to write. Voice trembling, she orated each word.

"Human to Fairy Theory…steps…" Zarina's hand shook. Her penmanship was messier than usual as she tried to remember the recipe. "….step one….yellow pixie dust….crushed with 1 robin's egg in acorn crucible… consistency…crackly….step two…bathe for three nights in starlight or until bleached…step three…."

Sweat dripped down Zarina's nose. "….step three…drop on floor…lace with dirt…step four…step four….what is step four?"

Zarina closed her eyes. Head throbbing, she thought.

Then she started to laugh.

"Step four! Step four!" Zarina danced in the air. As she twirled, she remembered the one ingredient required to catalyze any pixie dust experiment.

"Blue pixie dust!" Zarina laughed, writing on her pad. "Blue pixie dust makes all dust stronger! It's the secret ingredient!"

Happily, Zarina added a flourish to her notes. "And that's the only ingredient Tinkerbell doesn't have! Blue pixie dust!"

* * *

"So why do you need blue pixie dust?"

Tinkerbell batted her eyelashes innocently at Terence, the sparrowman.

"Oh well I don't, Terence. Zarina does. And you know Zee…" Tinkerbell hid the beaker behind her back. "Work, work, work with a new idea every second."

Terence smiled. As a dust keeper, Terence had the most important job in Pixie Hollow: he distributed exactly one teacup of pixie dust to each fairy every day. Without him, fairies wouldn't be able to fly.

But, also as a dust keeper, Terence protected the pixie dust. Especially blue pixie dust. Blue pixie dust amplified the power and growth of yellow pixie dust, which allowed fairies to fly.

Yes, blue pixie dust was potent. And, when abused, dangerous.

And technically, Terence was not supposed to hand out blue pixie dust without the supervision of Fairy Gary, the head dust keeper. It was against the rules, _cross your wings and hope to fly_!

But…since Tinkerbell was asking…

Terence caved into the soft spot on his heart.

"Sure Tink. As long as it's for Zee I'd be happy to, um, since it's you and all. I mean, for you, er…well. Wait a second…"

Terence flew a little too fast to retrieve the blue pixie dust. And his face was a little too red upon his return, even in the blue glow.

"Here you go." Delicately, Terrance placed three grains of blue pixie dust into Tinkerbell's palm. He waited until her fist curled safely around them. "Zarina usually takes one grain, but I gave you three. Best to be prepared. Too much beats none at all."

Terence smiled hopefully at Tinkerbell. "Right?"

Tinkerbell smiled back. And as she smiled her anger started to dribble away, making room for a different feeling. After all, fairies are so small, they can only have one feeling at a time.

But it was not the feeling she expected. Instead of calm, or compassion, or even common-sense, Tinkerbell felt sad. Sad that she lied to Terence, the sparrowman sparkling with pixie dust and beaming like the sun. Sad that she tricked Terence into stealing blue pixie dust – the only ingredient she remembered Zarina using to make talent dust on their pirate adventure.

Sad that she was about to trick and lie again…to her best friend.

"Thanks Terence." Tinkerbell turned, unable to look Terence in the eye. "You're…you're the best."

Terence spoke as she flew away, but Tinkerbell could not hear. After all, anger was pounding inside every one of Tinkerbell's unhappy thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2: Afraid To Fly

**Chapter 2: Afraid To Fly**

"….then perhaps it was something I said?"

Peter Pan laughed. It was an uplifting sound, both bright as summer and bold as his red hair. The stars twinkled brighter. The birds joined in serenade. And even Wendy Darling was forced to smile – just as Peter planned. Goodness he was clever!

"Something you said? To make Tinkerbell mad? Tink gets mad at everything!" Kicking up his heels, Peter spun on his bottom. He had brought Wendy to the best stargazing hill in all of Neverland, and as he turned the constellations whirled with him.

After the third turn Peter stopped. He faced Wendy with a lopsided grin. "Are all girls this fretful?"

Wendy turned a little pink. Nevertheless, she stood her ground. "I'm not fretful, only…concerned. You and Tinkerbell are dear friends and off course I wish she would like me – "

"She likes you fine." Peter batted a hand. "Everybody does! It took me all evening to pry the Lost Boys off you!"

"— but when we arrived…she…." Wendy rubbed her shoulder, uncertain how to politely express her fears. "…she…told the Lost Boys to…to…shoo…"

"—shoot you down?"

Wendy froze. She stared through Peter, reliving the terrible moment. And it had only been a moment. A blurred moment. A moment of confusion when the Lost Boys attacked. A moment of alarm when clubs, axes, and rocks hit her body. A moment for her heart to jump as she lost control and could not fly. A moment to fall. A moment to see the rocks below. And a moment to realize she was going to die.

Wendy closed her eyes. Although she knew it was terribly irrational, Wendy sometimes thought death would have been kinder. Because as frightening the actual moment had been, it was underwhelmed by the unhappy thoughts that perseverated after. Wendy nightmared about that moment. She would wake, tangled in her beddings and paralyzed by fear. And sometimes, although Wendy was too ashamed to admit it, she was _so very_ afraid to fly.

But Peter had noticed. He noticed a stark change in Wendy's flying pattern. And it…what was the word Wendy used?...it _concerned_ him.

Peter was an expert flier, the best in all Neverland. He could detect the smallest inconsistencies in speed, grace, and control. As a result, he was often impatient with new fliers. _Not fast enough. Too clumsy. A mile behind. Caught in tree tops._ The list went on and on. _Poor Peter Pan._

But Wendy had been different, and she had been different for two reasons. First, as a first time flier Wendy wasn't half bad. Almost good. Admittedly there were the expected kinks, but Peter had been delighted that the girl was a fast learner and – more importantly – willing to take risks (which Peter preferred to call 'having fun.').

True, she needed a little persuasion and a little guidance but Wendy was so full of happy thoughts, her flying skills drastically improved. So drastically in fact, Peter trusted Wendy to fly alone with Tinkerbell when Captain Hook attacked – something he could have never done with the Lost Boys.

But all of that changed.

Peter glanced at Wendy. Her flying skills had worsened since the...' _incident_ ' with Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys. She would falter during takeoff, teeter in the wind, and opt for lower altitudes, even when Peter urged her to soar higher. She reminded Peter of a baby bird afraid to fly. It was if Wendy was tethered to the ground by an unhappy thought.

And Peter knew _exactly_ which unhappy thought…because Wendy's unhappy thought….was also his.

When Tinkerbell tried to kill her...

...and Wendy fell…

Peter curled his fists. Blood rushed between his pointed ears. Peter did not remember exactly what happened that day. All he remembered was seeing Wendy's face – so, so scared, helpless, and confused. It petrified him. It _petrified_ the great Peter Pan.

And Peter had not been able to fly. It was a shameful secret, but when Wendy fell, Peter lost his happy thoughts. And he had fallen from the sky.

Peter shuddered. Everything had turned out all right. When he fell, he increased speed. And as Peter gained distance on Wendy, his thoughts burned with happiness. A heartbeat later, Peter caught Wendy. He held her tight. Safe and sound.

And very, very, _very_ close.

Peter cleared his throat. _That_ was an entirely separate and confusing matter altogether! The important problem was that because of the fall, Wendy was afraid to fly. And it was a pity, considering her natural flying skills _and_ considering all the adventures ahead! Peter just couldn't have it!

Still…

Peter smiled. There was a second reason Wendy was different, especially when it came to flying. Although Peter was ordinarily an impatient teacher, he _liked_ helping Wendy. He _liked_ watching her silly little _hop – skip – jump_ takeoff. He _liked_ anticipating a plummet with her, even without taking the actual plunge. He _liked_ holding her hand, even if Wendy was flying perfectly fine by herself.

Peter scratched his head. It was… _intriguing_. Wendy was intriguing. And since Peter's natural tendencies bent towards curiosity and exploration, he'd found more excuses to spend time with Wendy. Alone.

Just like tonight. Just he, Wendy, and the Neverland stars.

 _But!_ Peter popped up. _It would do no good if Wendy was unhappy!_

"Yeah. That was weird huh?" Peter said, trying to shrug off the memory. Crouching before Wendy, Peter smiled but was astounded how downcast she had become. Quickly, he thought of something clever to cheer her up.

"But what about me? Wasn't I fast? Saving you and all?"

Wendy nodded. "Quite."

" _Quite_?" Peter clutched his chest, feigning insult. "Is that all have to say? Don't you think I was wonderful? Wonderful and fast?!"

Wendy smiled. "Oh dear. You are conceited Peter Pan."

"And wonderful."

"And arrogant." Wendy laughed

"And _fast_!"

Peter seized Wendy's hand. He wrenched her up.

"Tag!" he yelled, kicking backwards into the air. "Tag your – huh?"

Surprised, Peter watched Wendy float back to the ground. He hadn't expected such a fast reaction, but the moment he yelled 'tag', Wendy joined the game, jumped into the air, and grabbed his foot.

"Tag!" Wendy laughed, ducking into the forest. "You're it!"

It was a marvelous game. True, it was more evenly matched than Peter liked, but marvelous all the same. Wendy introduced a new rule to the game – a magical "safe spot" where the tagger could not tag the players. Wendy assigned the magical safe spot to a tree, and no matter how hard Peter pulled, she would not break loose. Eventually Peter had to tickle Wendy free, but by that time the game was over. It was time to stargaze. Peter declared himself the winner. Wendy declared a tie. Peter thought she was clever, but secretly crowned himself victor supreme.

"So…" Peter said, flumping onto the hill. "…what should we do tomorrow?"

Wendy brushed leaves from her hair. "Goodness, Peter! We haven't even finished tonight."

"Eh…" Helpfully, Peter pulled a twig tangled in Wendy's bow. He adjusted the blue ribbon as he spoke. "…I always ask the boys at sunup. But if there is anything special _you_ wanted to do…"

Wendy was quiet. She relaxed when Peter released her hair. "Shouldn't we find Tinkerbell? She was rather cross. And it's an awfully big island. And Captain Hook – "

"Stop worrying about Hook!" Peter said. "He's an old codfish! And Tinkerbell comes and goes as she pleases. There are other fairies in Neverland you know."

"Really?"

Peter perked. _A story that he could tell Wendy? That was new!_

"Yeah." Laying back, Peter pointed to the sky. "See those stars?"

Wendy looked up. She gasped as Peter pulled her down beside him.

"Better. Now look. See all those stars?" Again Peter pointed. The tiny spots where Wendy was touching him tingled. An unrecognizable thrill whooshed through Peter as he extended a hand across the sky.

"Look at all of them. So many stars. But, Wendy! There are more fairies than that in all of Neverland!"

"Really?"

"Yup! About a _billion_ times more!"

"Why can't we see them?"

Peter lifted both arms. He moved them fluidly like a magician. "They're all around! Mixed with fireflies. Sleeping in flowers. Hovering right behind your ear. They're everywhere you don't look!"

Wendy touched her ear. She looked to the side, just to be safe. "Goodness. Are they very shy?"

"A little." Peter admitted, pretending to be the authority on fairies. "But mostly standoffish. Most fairies aren't as friendly as Tink."

Wendy made a little sound. Peter grinned, understanding her insinuation.

"Don't worry. Tink likes you." Peter placed a hand behind his head. He spoke confidently, but frowned a little, remembering Tinkerbell's murderous act. "She…she just has to realize it. After all she's a fairy. Too small for more than one emotion at one time. Why, you should have seen her with Nibbs! I thought we'd never find all of his teeth!"

Wendy gasped. Peter laughed.

"I'm kidding! I'm just kidding! Tink would never do something like that. Don't worry…" Peter curled his arm under Wendy's head. "…you girls will be friends in no time!"

Wendy breathed. "Promise?"

Peter turned. Wendy had turned too. Their noses almost touched. Peter jumped, startled by her proximity. And again, the strange thrill swept him senseless until Wendy blinked, breaking the spell.

"Um…yeah…"

Peter exhaled. He relaxed, realizing that he was squeezing Wendy's shoulder. Carefully he looked too see if Wendy had noticed.

And Wendy, to Peter's delight, was smiling. She finally looked happy.

"Yeah." Peter said, shaking his head so their noses rubbed. He applauded himself when Wendy laughed. "I promise. Wendy Lady."

Tinkerbell watched the children drift asleep. Flying from her hiding spot, she buzzed angrily over Wendy. The girl was tilted from Peter, but her hand rest in his. And a disgusting, soft smile made her look all dreamy.

Tinkerbell glowed red. Reservations gone, she dropped the three grains of blue pixie dust into Zarina's beaker. Instantly, the contaminated pixie dust smoked. It turned black with tiny bits of silver. Tinkerbell glanced up. Just like a moonless sky.

Tinkerbell looked at Wendy. She looked at Peter. She looked at their fingers, interlaced.

"Sweet dreams!" Tinkerbell hissed, flinging the black dust at Wendy. "Let the nightmare begin! Go!"

Tinkerbell waited. She panted, hungrily watching Wendy for a cataclysmic transformation.

Wendy sighed. Deeply she inhaled. And…

" _Achoo_!"

" _Achoo_?" Tinkerbell suppressed a scream. Wrathfully she squeezed her blonde bun as Wendy peacefully slumbered. "Achoo? Achoo? It didn't work? How could it not work? Zarina said you would turn into a fairy by breathing in the pixie dust! Right? _Right_? Ohhhhh stupid, big, ugly girl! Can't you do _anything_ right – "

 _Snap._

Tinkerbell turned. Rigid except for her eyes, she searched the darkness. The sharp, snapping sound had come from the forest. But…she could not hear it now.

Now it was quiet. Too quiet.

"Stupid girl!" Tinkerbell murmured, sprinting though the air, over the tree tops, and as fast to Pixie Hollow as she could fly.

Captain Hook smiled. He waited until Tinkerbell vanished.

Then silently he raised his hook. Upon his command, pirates peeled from the shadows. Smee, Mullins, Black Murphy, Jukes, Gentleman Johnny, Turk, Scallop, and Shark.

"Well lookie, lookie." the pirates said. "It's bloody Peter Pan."

"And ho hum, bottle o' rum." they snickered, cutlasses raised. "He's got a lovely little friend!"

"Shall we stick Pan Capn?" Mr. Smee inquired, knowing it was wise to wait for orders. "And kidnap the wee lass for a shine?"

The captain scratched his hook across his jaw.

"No." Captain Hook said. He smiled as black magic sparkled around Wendy. "This is _far_ more intriguing."


	3. Chapter 3: Rallying the Troops

**Chapter 3: Rallying the Troops**

Dawn shook Peter from his dreams. Peter rolled, stretching sleep from his body and sunlight from his eyes. For a restful moment he lay, feet lopsided and toes curled.

Then Peter popped into the air –

"CAAWWWHH! AWH AAHHH! AWH AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

– and crowed.

And with Peter's morning herald, Neverland woke up.

"Good morning!" Peter proclaimed, running laps around the sky. For some reason he was _so happy_! He back-flipped! He double back-flipped! He double-decker back flipped! He double-decker-triple –

"- Whoa!"

Well, at least it was a good try!

"Whuuups!"

Peter lost his balance and cartwheeled onto a cloud. Sheepishly, he looked around. He did not see anyone, but he was up so high up it was hard to tell. Peter considered investigating the area for spies, but suddenly decided that he didn't care if all of Neverland saw his failed double-decker-triple-stacker backflip attempt! Because this morning was a staggeringly good morning.

And Peter could not wait for Wendy to wake up.

"Wendy! Wendy! Uuuup and at'em!" Peter dove through the cloud. He was going to show Wendy Neverland and she was going to adore it! Laughing, he kicked for extra speed. "Wendy! Wake up! Wake – Wendy?"

Peter stopped so short his hat flew off. Catching the red feathered cap, he blinked at the stargazing hill where he and Wendy had slept. Wendy was not there. She was gone.

Peter was flabbergasted, and a little affronted. _Why would she leave? She had been right there, he had felt her all night even in his dreams. Had he done something wrong? Had he upset her? She upset easily, but usually only for little spells. He'd tried to be clever, exciting, and brave. They were having so much fun. Didn't she…_

Peter's insides thunked to the earth.

 _Didn't she want to spend the day with him?_

Peter sagged. A pinprick of sadness poked his heart. But it was more than sadness. It was something too agonizing to have a name. Peter rubbed his chest, trying to make the feeling go away. But the more he rubbed, the faster the feeling spread across his mind and into his happy thoughts.

 _What if Wendy was in trouble?_

For the second time, Peter almost forgot how to fly. Instinctively, he swung about, scanning for Captain Hook's pirate ship. He pinpointed the Jolly Roger prowling the southern shores. Peter squinted. Captain Hook's course did not look directional – the pirates were patrolling the coast-line _looking_ for conflict, not instigating it.

Still…

Peter shook his head, frustrated that he was worried. The Lost Boys would go missing for days and Peter would not bat an eye. But it was different with Wendy. She couldn't leave his line of sight without making Peter restless. He had to steal glances to know she was there. He had to observe her constantly for disquiet or unease. He had to fix her when she was hurt. He had to make her happy when she was sad. It was _exhausting_ , but Peter _had_ to do it. It was his job. And for some reason…he _enjoyed_ it.

"Wendy?" Peter called, revolving in air. "Wendy are you there? Wendy where are you? Wendy? Wendy?"

The sun turned butter yellow. In the brightened light, Peter scanned the island. He gulped. Neverland was formidably large. And although it was a paradise, Neverland's playfulness could sometimes get out of hand. It could get intense. Hysterical. Wild. Dangerous.

"I have to find Wendy." Peter concluded. Donning an imaginary suit of armor, he flew for Hangman's Tree. "Better rally the troops."

'Rallying the troops' was less glorified than Peter made it sound. Without Wendy's supervision, the Lost Boys had extended last night's curfew and were very grumpy when Peter woke them up.

"I was dreaming about sleeping." Cubby moaned.

Nibbs nodded groggily in agreement. He stumbled as Peter dragged him by the rabbit ears into formation.

"Why do we have get up anyways, Pan?" Slightly yawned. "We use to stay up late allzzzzzzzzzzzzz— whoa!" Slightly jerked awake. He cowered under Peter's glare. "—all the time."

Peter fished the twins from their bunks. "Yes. Then you would sleep the whole next day and miss the adventures!"

Twins tucked under his arms, Peter scolded his men. "Wendy told you to get to bed on time! You should have listened to her – your mother is smart for a girl you know!"

The Lost Boys grumbled sleepily. John leaned on his umbrella, eyes closed. "Right – O you are Pan. Right – O. Gentlemen, we are abysmal. All agreed?"

"Aye aye." the Lost Boys chorused.

"Splendid. _Tut –tut- tut_ to us." John wobbled as Michael and Tootles dozed against his knees. "Sterling rebuke Pan, your criticism is well received. Can we go back to bed now?"

Peter glared at his snoring crew. "Wendy is missing."

Their eyes popped open like firecrackers.

"Missing?" Cubby bit his fingers. "Missing? Where is she?"

"She's _missing_ stupid!" Slightly said, elbowing through Cubby and pulling up his fox hood. "Pan wants us to find her! Right Pan!?"

"Right!" Peter said, catching Cubby's fist before it connected with Slightly's nose. "Slightly you take Michael. John you take Tootles. Twins together, and Cubby you and Nibbs split. Cover every corner of the island! I'll check the pirate ship and Indian camp to see if they captured Wendy!"

"What about the places in between?" piped Twin One. "You know the places we're afraid to look?"

"Like behind waterfalls – " clarified Twin Two, "— and under slimy rocks?"

"Shut up!" Slighly yelled, bonking Twin One and Twin Two on the head. "Tink usually does that, remember? And Pan said Tink was – "

" – banished." Peter said.

Peter quieted and the Lost Boy's waited. Apprehensively they watched their leader brood.

Peter scowled at the ground, caught between his pride and his concern for Wendy. Tinkerbell would gloat if he went back on his ultimatum. She might even make him admit he had been wrong. Peter shuddered. There was nothing worse than that!

Then, Peter remembered the day Wendy was shot from the sky. He remembered the confusion, hurt, and helplessness in her eyes. He remembered how hard her heart had been beating when he caught her. He remembered how hard _his_ heart had beat.

Peter rubbed his chest. He imagined Wendy alone in Neverland. She was so small. So innocent. So excited by his world, but so naïve to its dangers. Peter smiled. That was probably why Wendy was so brave. Bless her heart.

Peter sighed. Deciding that Tinkerbell's mockery was a fair trade for Wendy's safety, he turned to the Lost Boys.

"First one to find our little mother – " Peter declared, pointing up the tunnels and out the door. " – wins! Mark, set, go!"

"Go!" yelled Twin One! "Go – go – "

"—go!" finished Twin Two, racing after him.

"We'll find you Mother!" Slightly and Cubby yelled, weapons raised.

"Tally Ho!" John roared, pulling Tootles by the hand.

"Pan!" Nibbs paused. He was last, but being the fastest would quickly catch up. "Pan you coming?"

Peter nodded. "Nibbs you hunt out Mermaid Lagoon. Be careful." As Nibbs saluted, Peter vaulted through the rooftop and into the sky. Cutting through the wind, he dove for the heart of the island. "I'll find Tinkerbell."

* * *

Tinkerbell was sulking. Per usual, nothing was going her way. There were no more sugar plums for breakfast. Her hair bun was flat. Clank and Bobble borrowed half of her tinkering tools. Terence wouldn't give her extra pixie dust to make her wings shine. And Zarina's stupid pixie dust hadn't destroyed Wendy by turning her into a fairy.

Tinkerbell glowered. Sometimes life was so unfair.

"Tinkerbell!"

Tinkerbell's ears pricked. Unfolding her wings, she leaned off the edge of the daisy. Someone had called her name. Tinkerbell tilted her head. She listened. The voice sounded like –

"…Peter?"

"TINKERBELL!"

Peter burst through the trees. Tinkerbell tumbled backwards as he screeched over the daisy garden.

"Tinkerbell! Tinkerbell! There you are!"

Peter clambered over the flowers like a puppy. Frantically he hovered over the fairy. "Tink! Where have you been?"

Dazed, Tinkerbell caught her breath. Then, glaring at Peter she picked herself up with a melodramatic turn.

"Oh _I'm sorry_ – " Tinkerbell said, realigning her wings. "—Tinkerbell is not here right now. Come again in, oh I don't know… _a week_?"

Peter scampered around. Tinkerbell turned, refusing to face him. She stuck her nose in the air.

"Tink." Peter crouched, tilting his ear to the forest floor. "Tink come on. Don't say things like that. I'm ending the banishment. I need – "

"Oh, so are you apologizing?" Tinkerbell sneered delightedly. "Or just admitting you were wrong?"

Peter sat up. "Neither, Tink! You tried to kill Wendy! She could have died!"

" _Oh. The. Horrors_." Lazily, Tinkerbell popped out a hip. "I wish that she had. Kerrrrrr –SPLAT!"

"Stop saying things like that." Peter warned. "Or I'll take back my banishment take-back!"

"Go ahead!" Tinkerbell retorted zipping up to Peter's nose. She stuck out her tongue. "Have fun getting more pixie dust for your big, ugly girl!"

"Tink!" Peter called as Tinkerbell buzzed away. "Tink! Tinkerbell wait! I need your help! I can't find Wendy!"

Tinkerbell poked out from behind a rose. "Say again?"

Peter rose. Levitating, he explained. "Wendy is gone!" he said, pointing to the sky. "Last night I showed her the stars. You know, on the stargazing hill?"

Tinkerbell turned the color of the rose.

Peter continued. "Well we fell asleep, and I know she was with me! I had her safe. But this morning she was gone! No footprints! No tracks! Vanished! Gone!"

Peter knelt. Desperately he beseeched his fairy friend. "Tinkerbell, you have to help me find Wendy. She's not as gritty as you – "

Tinkerbell raised an eyebrow. She cross both arms as Peter wavered.

" – she… she might get hurt."

Tinkerbell stared. Then, she smiled.

"She might get hurt." Tinkerbell said, flitting into the air. "Mightn't she?"

"Tink!" Peter jerked as Tinkerbell zoomed by his ear. "Tink where are you going?"

Tinkerbell grinned. She could not believe her luck. Sometimes life could be wonderfully fair.

"To find Wendy!"


	4. Chapter 4: The Itsy Bitsy Spider

**sultal's note: for** **jasonjkay. I don't like to wait either ;)**

 **keep writing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The Itsy Bitsy Spider**

Happy. No.

HAPPY!

Wendy smiled. She was sleeping, but the happiness was so powerful it _became_ her dream. The world was spinning and scintillating, and Wendy wanted to spin and be scintillating along with it. She wanted to wake up and dance, jump up and fly, hug Peter Pan and give him a kiss.

Tremendous amounts of happiness swelled inside Wendy, pushing aside her shyness. Normally, Wendy would have been mortified – the mere thought of kissing Peter would have made her blush. But now, she was completely unabashed.

Eager to wake, Wendy smiled. There wasn't room for shyness or reserve; after all she was just so happy! And she was so happy because Peter had held her hand all night.

"CAAWWWHH! AWH AAHHH! AWH AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Wendy snapped up. She slapped both hands over her ears as the sound blew over her. At first she did not recognize Peter's crow because the volume split her ears. But as Peter flew, the loudness subsided and Wendy recognized Peter's tone. Cringing, she opened her eyes.

BAM!

Sunlight hit Wendy. She buckled as if a bullet had shot into each eye. Releasing her ears, Wendy covered her eyes. Both eardrums throbbed as Peter yelled. Squeezing her eyes tight, Wendy returned both hands over her ears.

It was useless. Peter was too loud. Suddenly the crowing stopped. Wendy listened. Peter was still shouting. But he was shouting her name.

Crippled by the dissonant sound and light, Wendy stumbled to her feet.

"Oh!"

Wendy tipped, swinging backwards like a pendulum. Center of balance skewed posteriorly, Wendy collapsed before realizing that something was hanging off her back.

"Ohh - ah!" Something crunched. Pain radiated across Wendy's spine and under her shoulder blades. Then, the pain did something strange.

The pain went… _behind her_?

Wendy gasped. The pain spiked out of her spine and burned into the space behind her back. And Wendy… _felt it_. She felt the pain behind her…as if it were _part of her_ …as if she had an extra appendage extending from her back…as if she had….

"…wings?"

Wendy uncovered her ears. She opened her eyes. She reached back.

And then she panicked.

"Wings? Wings how – I have wi – and what? What is – why? Why is – what is – how is – how am – !?"

Wendy whipped back and forth, touching her wings, touching her head, looking up, looking down. She reached behind and felt the wings. She craned her neck but only saw a glassy glare. _Wings? How could she have wings?_

She looked up and saw the sky yawning _everywhere_ through flowers tall as trees! She held her hair. She felt her bow. _She couldn't be even five inches tall_!

She touched her head. She touched her toes. She smoothed her dress. The hem skimmed just over her hips. There were no sleeves. _What was she wearing_?

Wendy was assaulted with the new information. The panic was disarming. Her heart felt too big, like it was trying to rip out of her chest. Blood throbbed in her forehead. She gasped, trying to breathe faster and faster and faster and faster! She wanted to run! She wanted to cry! She wanted to scream but she could not move!

Panic saturated Wendy. But even in her state, Wendy was smothered by a single realization.

"I'm a fairy!" Wendy cried. "I'm a fairy! Oh no! Someone please help! I'm a fairy!"

"Wendy? Wendy are you there?"

Wendy lifted her head. She turned skyward. She squinted at a black speck outlined by the sun. "Peter?"

"Wendy where are you?" Peter called, voice distant. "Wendy? Wendy?"

 _Clunk!_ Panic dropped from Wendy like a hammer. With equal abruptness, she was struck with hope. Utter, insane, hope.

"Peter!" Wendy rolled over her bare legs. Balancing in quadruped, she lifted a hand. "Peter! I'm here! I'm down here! Please! Please help me! Oh – oh no! No!"

Panic rekindled in Wendy as Peter flew away. Desperately, Wendy wrenched herself up by a blade of grass. Wings dragging, she ran after Peter.

"Please!" Wendy sobbed, tripping down the stargazing hill. "Please Peter don't leave! Turn around! I'm here! I'm down here! Peter come back! Come back! Come – oh!"

Wendy lurched. Something grabbed her wings. Her feet flipped upward, leaving the ground as she was wrenched into the air. Shoulder blades twisting and arms locking back, Wendy kicked helplessly as the something flung her downhill.

A blur of green and yellow fluttered overhead as Wendy fell. Suffocated in panic, Wendy could not even begin to imagine using her wings. All she could do was shield her face from the inevitable –

"Splat!"

Tinkerbell laughed as Wendy crumpled. She wiped her hands, congratulating herself on such a good shot. "Bull's-eye!"

Unable to contain her glee, Tinkerbell peeked from her hiding spot – a red rose bush. Grinning through the nettles, she softly began to sing.

"The itsy, bitsy, spider came up the fairy's house….down came the rain and washed the spider out…out came the sun and dried up all the rain…and the itsty bitsy spider found the little fairy again."

Wendy pushed up. Hand under her stomach, she turned. Her blue eyes were wide and luminous inside her dirty face. Tinkerbell grinned. _Perfect! The girl was even going to cry!_ Tinkerbell looked again. She did a little dance. _Wendy's wings were all crinkled and bent!_

"Is…is someone there?" Wendy breathed, curling onto her knees. "Please…is…oh…oh…no…"

Tinkerbell rubbed her hands. "And cue…" she hissed "… the itsy bitsy spider."

Wendy looked up. Her neck tilted all the way back.

It was a spider. A spindly, twitchy, black spider suspended directly over her head.

The spider did not move. Eight legs clawed from a fat abdomen, it waited over Wendy, poised to attack.

Wendy was paralyzed. She couldn't think. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. But the overwhelming fear saved Wendy; as long as she was still, so was the spider.

Then, Tinkerbell got bored.

"Peter is coming. He might hear you." Tinkerbell snapped a rose thorn. Leaning back, she aimed the thorn like a spear and threw. "And that would ruin my whole day!"

The thorn spiraled. It hit Wendy's wing. Wendy jumped. The spider pounced.

"Get her!" Tinkerbell cheered. She clapped as the spider burrowed around Wendy, spraying her with silk. Wendy scampered beneath it, falling over her wings and choking on tears. But despite her inelegance, Wendy's fear drove her closer to escape.

"No! No! No!" Tinkerbell growled as Wendy stumbled towards her. "No you stupid spider! She's getting away! Whoo!"

Tinkerbell ducked as spider silk shot into the rose bush, nearly smacking her in the face. Angrily, Tinkerbell glared through the sticky strings as Wendy approached. The girl had adjusted to her wings and regained her balance enough to run without falling.

Tinkerbell scowled. "At least you can't fly!" she sneered, sticking out her foot as Wendy ran by.

Wendy fell. And as the spider crashed through the roses, Tinkerbell seized Wendy's wings and shoved them into the spider silk.

Wendy cried as the silk stuck. Frantically she pulled but the silk snarled into sticky knots. The spider screeched, poking Wendy with its legs and nuzzling her belly button with its fangs. Trapped, Wendy covered her eyes as the spider attacked.

* * *

Terence heard the spider before he heard the fairy crying.

It was a stroke of luck. Never fond of breaking rules, Terence rarely ventured from his dust duties at Pixie Hollow. But he had refused to give Tinkerbell extra pixie dust this morning to make her wings shine, and she had been a little…um…belligerent. Poor Tink. Apparently she was having a rough week.

Terence smiled. He'd salvaged three extra grains of pixie dust, and couldn't wait to see Tinkerbell's excitement when he gave them to her. Terence supposed that she might even give him a hug!

Pleased with his prospects, Terence had pocketed his three grains of pixie dust and left Pixie Hollow. Already it had been an adventure. Terence took two wrong turns, argued with three frogs, and nearly got trampled by those silly Lost Boys.

A shadow rippled overhead. Terence looked up.

Peter Pan.

"Oh. Him."

Terence glowered. Like many Pixie Hollow fairies, Terence did not object to Peter Pan. The boy battled pirates, was kind to fairies, and was rather fairy-like himself. In theory, Peter Pan was the perfect ally.

But Terence did not like Peter Pan. Specifically, he did not like Peter Pan's friendship with Tinkerbell. Peter Pan got her into too much trouble, kept her away from Pixie Hollow for weeks on end, and furthermore – what did Peter Pan have that Terence did not?!

"Excluding height." Terence muttered, dropping altitude. "And…" he admitted sadly, fingering the three pixie dust grains. "…Tinkerbell."

"Help!"

Terrence paused. His ears pricked, attuning to the background commotion.

"Hello?" he called, scanning the earth. He listened for the voice again. "Hello?"

"Help!" The voice cried over a monstrous screech. "Please! No! No! No!"

"HELLO?" Terence dove. He raced over the grass, dandelions scraping his chest. "Hello? Where are you? I'm coming! I'm – "

Terence reeled. He tumbled, missing the spider and flopping into the air. The spider screeched, squirting silk as Terence zipped away.

Then Terence saw the fairy. She was a little thing, even for a fairy, and her wings were tangled in silk. Terence had never seen her before, but his heart broke when she looked up at him. There were tears in her big, blue eyes. She was scared. So scared.

"Hold on!" Terence shouted. Reaching into his pocket, Terence threw the three pixie dust grains. The grains settled on the spider, lifting it just out of reach of the little fairy. The spider twitched, jerking downward by its sticky thread.

Terence kicked. Springing with the momentum, he soared into the sky, over the clouds, and smacked into Peter Pan's nose.

Now, Terence was a chivalrous fairy, but wise as well. And he knew that this big, blundering boy had a better chance of saving the little fairy (and surviving the spider) than he.

"Whoa!" Peter somersaulted head over heels. Blinded by residual pixie dust, Peter reached for his dagger. "Whoa! What the – ?"

"DOWN THERE!" Terence yelled.

Peter heard the ringing. He stopped. The ringing was different than Tinkerbell's – it was clearer, like a crystal bell – but Peter would never have known that.

Peter could _understand_ Tinkerbell. When she spoke, she and Peter conversed with words, not ringing bells. But Peter could not understand other fairies. All he could hear was ringing.

So when Terence called, Peter knew a fairy had spoken.

Brushing away pixie dust he found Terence.

"A sparrowman?"

"DOWN THERE!" Terence hollered, tugging Peter's sleeve. "DOWN THERE! A FAIRY IS IN TROUBLE! DOWN THERE! DOWN THERE!"

Hesitantly Peter looked. "Down there?"

"YES!"

"Is…someone in trouble?"

"HOW HARD IS THAT TO UNDERSTAND?" Terence yelled, overemphasizing his nod. "YES! GO! DOWN! THERE! NOW!"

"But – " Peter spread his hands. "I can't! Wendy – OW! HEY!"

Peter yowled as Terence pulled his hair. "Hey! Get off! Get off! GET OFF!"

Peter swatted Terence from his bangs. Angrily, he chased the fairy back under the clouds, across the stargazing hill –

– and then Peter heard the fairy crying. He stopped, astounded by the sound. It was the saddest thing he had ever heard.

Terence hopped before Peter's eyes. Desperately, he pointed.

Peter looked down. He saw the spider. And then he saw –

" – Wendy?"

The spider was smushed before Terence could say "Think of a happy thought." Cringing, Terence darted back and forth as Peter Pan knelt over the little fairy.

"Thanks…" Terence begrudgingly mumbled. He smoothed aside the fairy's hair. He tapped her cheek. She did not respond.

Terence bit his lip. "Poor thing. She must've just come from the mainland. She must've just been born from a child's laugh!"

Resolutely, Terence cradled the fairy in his arms. Difficultly, he tried to peel spider silk from her wings.

Suddenly, he was overshadowed by Peter Pan's hand.

"You can go now!" Terence elbowed through Peter's fingers. "I've got to get her to Pixie Hollow! She needs a talent! She needs a home! She needs – hey! Hey! What are you doing? Stop!"

Peter Pan pinched Terence's wings. Gently prying the little fairy away, Peter flicked Terence into the air. Then, with the little fairy cupped against his chest, Peter flew for Hangman's Tree.

"Hey!" Terence fumed. "Hey! Get back here! You can't keep taking fairies! Get back here you big kidnapping – "

"Terence?"

Tinkerbell hovered overhead. She was smiling like the sun. A red rose petal decorated her bun. "Terence? You're mad? You're never mad! Today is such a _wonderful_ day! What's the occasion?"

Terence spluttered like a fish. "Peter Pan! That big, kidnapping Peter Pan! He took a fairy!"

Tinkerbell cocked her head. "Fairy? What fairy?"

Terence threw up his hands. "I don't know! A new fairy, I'd never seen! Peter Pan and I saved her from that squashed spider – and then he took her away! Tink! What are we going to do?"

Tinkerbell turned the color of the rose. Slowly, the petal in her hair began to burn.

"AH!"

Terence jumped. Perplexed, he watched Tinkerbell sprint away.

"Okay. Well. I know what I'm going to do." Terence said, fluttering his wings and straightening his acorn cap. "I'm telling Queen Clarion."


	5. Chapter 5: Fairy Napper Evil Snatcher!

**Chapter 5: Fairy Napper Evil Snatcher!**

"Fairy Gary! Fairy Gary!"

Terence zoomed across Pixie Hollow. He flew so fast a trail of pixie dust sprayed behind him and settled on curious, upturned fairy faces.

"Terence?" Clank and Bobble called. "Terrence? That's a mighty fast bit o' flyin'! Alls well?"

"Can't talk!" said Terence, almost to himself. Pumping back his arms, Terence dove for the Pixie Dust Mill. He dropped his wings, letting gravity pull him down. "This is a fairy calamity! Fairy Gary! Fairy Gary!"

Terence blew into the Pixie Dust Mill. Several dust talent fairies paused from clean-up duties as he stumbled over the peach-pit entrance.

"Hey Bolt, look. The sky is falling." Stone said, nudging his fellow sparrowman. "Terence is back."

"Where ya been Terence?" Bolt nudged Stone back. "Not getting the hint from lady tinker-talent again?"

"And did you have to leave work early?" asked Yvette, a thin fairy with red elbows. Wincing, she rubbed her arms. "We had to work over time! My dust keeper's elbow flared up again!"

"I had to take your duties with Fairy Gary!" Jerome added. Jerome was a tall sparrowman, almost six and a half inches. He towered over Terence. "Fairy Gary is _so_ slow!"

"Where is Fairy Gary?" Terence demanded. He hopped into the air. "Where is Fairy Gary!? Quick! Quick, quick, quick!"

"Whoa." Stone pointed and laughed. "Someone's _time_ is _flying_!"

"Right out the window." said Bolt.

"Guys!" Yvette whined. "My elbow is killing me!"

"Stone! Bolt! Yvette! Jerome!" Terence seized Jerome's shoulders. "Where is Fairy Gary?"

"He's with Fairy Mary!" Jerome doubled stepped back from Terence. Irritated, he swept pixie dust from his sleeves. "Lower the jets, Terence. You can't see Fairy Gary now! It's the middle of week remember? Fairy Gary is in counsel with Queen Clarion, the seasonal ministers, and the talent supervisors. There is no way – "

"—then that means he's at the pixie dust tree! With Queen Clarion!" Terence gave Jerome a vigorous pat on the cheek. "Thanks Jerome! Don't worry guys! I'll be back to work tomorrow!"

Mystified, Jerome touched his cheek. "What's up with him?" he wondered, watching Terence fly from the peach-pit mill. "He's acting awfully strange."

Bolt frisked to the entrance. He nearly drowned in Jerome's shadow. "Must be his awfully strange crush!"

"Tinkerbell must be pounding the _calm_ and _logical_ right out of Terence with her hammers." Stone said, joining Bolt. He also almost drown in Jerome's shadow. "Poor guy."

"Poor guy? Poor me!" Yvette stretched her aching joint. "If Terence misses work again my arm will fall off!"

"Stop complaining." Jerome frowned. Terence was a tiny golden speck in the setting sun. He zipped up and down, dodging fairies enroute to the Pixie Dust Tree. "Terence never skips work. And he would never interrupt the queen's weekly meeting. This must be a fairy calamity."

"Well…" Yvette grumbled. "…I'm too sore to work. Maybe Zarina could take my post tomorrow."

Jerome smiled. "Unlikely. Zarina is with Fairy Gary right now. She's in counsel with Queen Clarion and the seasonal ministers."

"Huh? Zarina? Why?"

Jerome shrugged. "Zarina's the only alchemist talent in Pixie Hollow. Queen Clarion wants all fairy talent leaders at the weekly meeting. And that means Zarina."

The four fairies cringed. Sympathetically, they gazed after Terence as he approached the Pixie Dust Tree.

"…and you know Zarina."

* * *

"But _why_?"

A collective sigh filled the inner sanctum of the Pixie Hollow Tree. Earnestly, Zarina waited for an answer to her question. Fairy Gary, sitting beside Zarina, rubbed his nose apologetically as the elder fairies tried to think of an answer to her question.

Fairy Gary was a talent supervisor. Like Fairy Mary and the other talent supervisors, Fairy Gary was responsible for the productivity of all dust talent fairies. Similarly, Fairy Mary supervised the tinker-talents – fix–it fairies responsible for inventions and repair.

Since Fairy Gary trained Zarina when she was a dust keeper, and Fairy Mary (as a tinker) shared Zarina's inquisitiveness, they had both recommended that Zarina join the queen's weekly council. After all, Zarina was the only alchemy talent in Pixie Hollow. Technically that meant she was a talent supervisor and talent employee simultaneously. So, by definition, she deserved a council seat. At the very least, putting Zarina on the council would help the elder fairies keep an eye on her and avoid another…pirate disaster. Zarina was a brilliant little fairy; but goodness did she need boundaries!

Fairy Gary thought the queen's council would intimidate Zarina. After all, the fairy elders were easily five hundred years older and one thousand stone-throws wiser. The plan had been for Zarina to report briefly on her latest experiment, nod politely when the seasonal ministers spoke, and keep quiet until dismissed by Queen Clarion.

At least, that was the plan.

Zarina _loved_ attending council meetings. She _loved_ learning about the pursuits of other fairy talents. She _loved_ listening to the qualms of seasonal ministers as they brought spring, summer, winter, and autumn to the Mainland. She _loved_ scribbling notes when ideas popped into her head. She _loved_ proposing alchemy experiments to improve fairy productivity. She _loved_ the challenge of bringing pixie dust alchemy into the lives of each and every fairy talent.

And more than anything, Zarina _loved_ to ask one question.

"But _why_?"

Bright eyed, Zarina beseeched the Minister of Winter. The Minister of Winter, Snowflake only to her friends and only when she was not present, glared frostily at the little fairy.

"Because…" The Minister of Winter fingered her high collared gown. "…winter talents and water talents do not intermingle. Combining their talents would be… _unprecedented_."

"Yes." Zarina bounced on her heels. "But why? _Unprecedented_ doesn't mean impossible! _Unprecedented_ doesn't even mean not-useful! Think about it – "

"Zarina…" Fairy Gary shifted uncomfortably, "…dear –"

"— if we blast a snowflake fairy with cyan colored pixie dust…" Zarina explained, ignoring both Fairy Gary's warning and the Minister of Winter's icy glare. "…then they will have water talent powers! Think about it! They can make snowflakes without having to wait for water droplet deliveries from the water fairies!"

"Zarina…" Fairy Gary repeated, this time resting a hand on her shoulder, "….Zarina, dear…"

But Zarina was too excited.

"We can cut production in half!" Zarina beamed. "More snowflakes! Less time! Faster winter! Fun for all!"

The Minister of Winter raised bone white hands. As her pale eyes flashed at Zarina, Lord Milori interjected.

"We are grateful, Zarina." said Lord Milori, striding from his place by the queen. As ruler of the Winter Woods, Lord Milori was comrade to Minister of Winter and the only fairy that could placate her wrath. The Minister of Winter was uncompromising and harsh; she had little interest in Zarina's nonsensical experiments.

However, thanks to Tinkerbell's adventures in the Winter Woods and a sweet glance from Queen Clarion, Lord Milori had grown more flexible with the younger fairies. Moving a soft smile from Queen Clarion to Zarina, Lord Milori offered a compromise.

"But perhaps to start, we test your proposition in small doses? One? Two? Three fairies perhaps? I think Quana, Gliss, and Periwinkle would be willing to switch talents. Temporarily of course. Queen Clarion?"

Queen Clarion smiled at the excitement in Zarina's eyes.

"Temporarily." she agreed. "Goodness knows we have a tall order for early winter this year. Many children wishing for holiday snow."

Queen Clarion twinkled as Zarina surprised a squeal. "I will consult with Silvermist for her estimation on sharing water talent powers. And Snowflake…is this concession agreeable to you?"

The Minster of Winter bristled. Frigidly she turned from Zarina's hopeful face. "If...if it pleases the council."

Zarina pumped her fist into the air. Fairy Gary covered her mouth before she could cheer.

"So long as this ridiculous triviality brings no delay!" The Minster of Winter snapped as Fairy Gary and Fairy Mary wrestled Zarina into her seat. "My winter fairies are far too busy for hindrances!"

"It won't!" Zarina promised, fingertips drumming wildly across her knees. "It won't, it won't, I know that it won't! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, thank you!"

The Minster of Winter scowled. "You're welcome." she muttered bitterly, only because it was polite.

"Well." Queen Clarion said, gently folding her hands together. "Another innovative proposal for the benefit of nature talents. Many thanks Zarina, we are all appreciative. All of us…" she added, glancing purposefully at the Minister of Winter.

"Speaking of innovation…" Fairy Mary tapped a quill to her leaf pad. A grid was marked in berry juice. "…can we get to the orders for tinker talents then? My fairies has been working double time with the change of seasons! So come on then! What request do you all have for us? And don't be shy! T'isn't anything we can't whip up!"

Fairy Gary sighed. Relieved that Zarina was no longer the focus of disproval, he leaned back. Resting arms and chin on his enormous belly, Fairy Gary kicked up his heels and relaxed. As the seasonal ministers peppered Fairy Mary with requests, he silently dozed. The meeting was almost over. All he had to worry about was that his kilt didn't ride up too far as he napped.

"Fairy Gary! Fairy Gary! FAIRY GARY!"

Fairy Gary jumped. He bounced right out of his seat. "Terence? What the – Terence?"

"Fairy Gary!"

Startled, all fairies turned as Terence sprinted into the Pixie Hollow Tree.

"Ridiculous!" The Minister of Winter cried. Icicles prickled from her fingernails. "All these dust fairy interruptions! Can anything be accomplished on time?"

"Terence!" Nose red and blotchy, Fairy Gary grabbed Terence and turned him around. Embarrassedly flying past the queen, he directed Terence out the entrance. "Terence, lad! This is no time for –"

"But Fairy Gary!" Terence objected. "It's a calamity! A fairy calamity!"

"I don't care if your kilt catches fire!" Fairy Gary said, pushing Terence into the air. "Nothing is so important to blister into the queen's council without – "

"But Peter Pan is a snatcher!" Terence cried, twisting to face Queen Clarion. "A fairy napper evil snatcher!"

Fairy Gary paused. Eyes narrowed, he squinted at Terence. "A what, then? Peter Pan?"

"The human…thing?" Hyacinth, the Minister of Spring clarified. He clutched his violet sleeves. "The one with pointed ears?"

"The boy young as spring?" said Redleaf, the Minster of Autumn. Calmly, he cocked his head. "And turbulent as falling leaves?"

"A fairy napper?" finished Sunflower, the Minster of Summer, in an uncharacteristically woeful tone. "A fairy napper evil snatcher?"

"Goodness…" Fairy Mary faltered. Dropping her quill and pad, she dipped into Zarina's arms. "…goodness. My fairy…Tinkerbell is…friendly with…Peter Pan. Oh my…I feel whoozy…"

Zarina huffed. Fairy Mary was rather short, but pleasantly plump. Quickly, Lord Milori and the Minister of Autumn gathered Fairy Mary.

Fanning herself, Fairy Mary blinked blearily at Terence. "Oh dear. Did…did Peter Pan fairy nap my Tinkerbell?"

Terence shook his head. "No! No! Thank goodness Tink is safe! But Queen Clarion! Queen Clarion!"

Terence knelt before the queen. He shook, unable to control his concern. "Queen Clarion! I saw a little fairy caught in a spider web! I asked Peter Pan to help, and he did! But then he fairy napped her! He fairy napped the little fairy! And Queen Clarion, she was new! So new! I'd never seen her before, and I know all the fairies and sparrowmen! I ration pixie dust to them every day!"

"That's true!" Fairy Gary nodded, gripping Terence's shoulders. "That's true Queen Clarion! One teacup of pixie dust a day!"

"Terence." Queen Clarion's voice was sharp. But gently, she lifted his chin. "Terence. Where did Peter Pan take this new fairy?"

"Hangman's Tree…" Fairy Mary breathed, dabbing sweat from her forehead. Wearily, she waved a hand. "…Tinkerbell prattles of it nonstop in the workshop…"

Queen Clarion rose. As ruler of Pixie Hollow, she was a motherly fairy; docile but with tremendous power saved for fairy calamities. Such as this one.

"We must rescue this new little fairy." Queen Clarion proclaimed, lifting her golden head. "She must be brought to Pixie Hollow, and initiated inside this very Pixie Dust Tree. If she does not, this poor fairy will never receive her talent. And never fly."

The fairies gasped. _How terribly un-flitterific!_

"Why didn't the new little fairy come straight to Pixie Hollow?" Zarina wondered, hefting Fairy Mary's legs. "All the other fairies do?"

But no one was listening. They were all a bustle to save the little fairy from Peter Pan: the fairy napper evil snatcher.

* * *

 **sultal's note: This chapter was so much fun to write! Zarina is my new favorite character! We would be friends :P**


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